Lurlinemas Can Be Romantic, Too
by Dutchtralian Twins
Summary: It's that time of year again, and now that Fiyero and Elphaba have been together for a year, it's time to appreciate Lurlinemas for its more romantic moments. Shiz-era, Fiyeraba and AU.
1. Struggles and emotions

**AN: Hi, everyone! We're back for our second Lurlinemas fic - I can't believe it's already been a year since we started writing together! Thanks to everyone who nominated and/or voted for us in the Greg Awards - we're both really honoured and chuffed. As usual, we hope you enjoy this story! Prompt for this chapter was: "Fiyero is being cheesy and says "All I want for Lurlinemas is you" to Elphaba. ...Galinda (who was in on a plan with Elphaba) gives him a huge gift box with Elphaba inside it."  
**

**Elizabeth. xx**

* * *

**Struggles and emotions**

Fiyero wrapped his arms around his girlfriend from behind. "What are you doing?" he whispered playfully, peering over her shoulder.

"Nothing," Elphaba said quickly, slamming the catalogue shut, causing Fiyero to frown.

"What's this?" He reached around her and dragged the catalogue towards him. "A magazine?"

Elphaba snatched it out of his grasp and tossed it out of the nearby window. "No, it is _not_ a magazine," she told him, suppressing a shudder at the thought.

"Oz forbid," Fiyero teased.

"There are too many lying around in our dorm room," Elphaba agreed. She smoothly turned the conversation onto a different track before Fiyero could further press her on the matter. "Where have you been?"

"Out getting these," Fiyero replied, turning to pick up a couple of items before holding them up for her to see. One hand held a two paper bags; the other, a cardboard tray with two Styrofoam cups sitting precariously in the cut-out holes.

Elphaba beamed at him. "Cinnamon doughnuts and caramel coffee?" she asked eagerly.

"Naturally," Fiyero confirmed, grinning back at her.

Elphaba stretched out her hands. "Gimme."

Fiyero chuckled. "My, what lovely manners you have, Miss Elphaba," he teased her.

"I learnt from the best," Elphaba shot back, taking a bag and a cup.

"Touché."

There was a comfortable silence as they ate, until Elphaba finally asked, "Yero?"

"That's me."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I know it is, silly. I wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot."

Elphaba paused, wondering how one phrased such a question, before deciding it might be best to just plunge straight in. "What do you want for Lurlinemas?"

His second doughnut halfway to his mouth, Fiyero stopped and blinked at his girlfriend. "Come again?"

"What do you want for Lurlinemas?"

Fiyero put down his doughnut and thought about that for a moment. Then he shrugged helplessly. "I don't really want anything, I guess…I mean, I've got everything I want, or can easily get it myself. I hadn't given it much thought."

"Can't you give me a hint?" Elphaba asked. "I have no idea what to get you this year."

"You know something?" Fiyero put down his doughnut and pulled Elphaba close. "All I want for Lurlinemas is you."

Elphaba blushed. "You are so cheesy."

Fiyero thought about that for a moment. "True," he conceded. "But what I said is also true. You're honestly all I want."

"Well, that's a great help," Elphaba said sarcastically.

Fiyero grinned. "You know me – always helpful."

Elphaba sighed.

* * *

Galinda walked into the dorm room waving a catalogue around in the air. "Elphie, guess what –"

"Ah," Elphaba said, spying the catalogue in her friend's hand, "you found it. Thankyou," she added, whipping the catalogue away before Galinda could even blink.

"Is that yours?"

"Yep. I'm so glad you found it, otherwise I'd never have got it back."

Galinda perched daintily on the edge of her bed and looked at her friend. "Okay, Elphie, two questions. One: Are you sure that's yours? I mean, that fell out of the sky! Well, out of a window above me, anyway."

"Then it's definitely mine," Elphaba confirmed, already flicking through the pages. "And your second question?"

"What do _you_ want with a _catalogue_? Not that that's a bad thing or anything," Galinda hastened to assure her friend. "I mean, I think it's great. I'm just a bit confusified here. I mean, you've always resisted my attempts to get you interested in these sorts of things; but now you're reading them of your own accordion?"

Elphaba did not bother to correct the other girl; instead, she merely looked at her with faint amusement on her face. "I'm not reading this for my own interests, Glin."

Galinda frowned. "Then what _are_ you reading it for?"

"To see if I can find something to get Fiyero for Lurlinemas," Elphaba replied absently, her attention already back on her perusal of the catalogue.

Galinda's face cleared. "Ohhhhhhhh," she said, drawing out the word for far longer than Elphaba thought necessary.

"I don't suppose you would have any thoughts?" Elphaba asked her friend. "I really don't have any ideas."

"Have you asked Fiyero what he wants?"

"Yes, but he wasn't very helpful."

Galinda lifted an eyebrow. "Tell me. I might be able to pick up some sort of hint."

Elphaba sighed and put down the catalogue. "He said…" She blushed as she recalled Fiyero's words, and looked across to the opposite side of the room from her Galinda sat. "He said that all he wanted for Lurlinemas…was me."

Galinda opened her mouth, and Elphaba quickly put her hands out as if defending herself.

"Please don't squeal," she begged.

Galinda snapped her mouth shut, but then gave her friend a huge grin. "That's so sweet and romantic!" she squeaked instead.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Once you've got that out of your system, can you try and help me come up with ideas?"

There was a moment of thoughtful silence before Galinda's eyes lit up. "I think I may have an idea…"

* * *

"Do you really have to do this?" Elphaba complained as Galinda put on the finishing touches.

"Yes."

"But I feel absolutely and utterly _ridiculous_! And I bet you anything I _look_ ten times more so."

"Elphaba," Galinda said sternly, "hold still, or you won't have _anything_ to give Fiyero for Lurlinemas."

Elphaba sighed but complied. Afterall, if Galinda had resorted to using her full name…

"Okay, done." Galinda turned Elphaba to face the mirror.

The room was suddenly eerily silent, and then Elphaba whispered, "…Oh."

"Well?" Galinda looked like she was going to explode.

"I…I look…"

"_I know_!" Galinda squealed, unable to hold it in any longer. "You look absolutely amazifying. Don't you look amazifying? You look amazifying."

"Will Fiyero like it, do you think?" Elphaba asked nervously.

"Darling, I _know_ he will," Galinda said confidently. "If he doesn't, then he's got no taste and doesn't deserve a gorgeous girl like you. But he will." Once she had finished admiring her handiwork, Galinda was all business again. "Now hop in."

"Galinda –"

"_Hop in_."

At Galinda's menacing glare, Elphaba decided it was best to do as she was told.

"I'll just go and get Ryrrikka and Boq."

"Galinda, I'm not sure I can –"

"Won't be a tick!" Galinda sang out.

Elphaba sighed.

* * *

"Come on," Galinda cried impatiently. "Hurry it up, won't you? Fiyero will be here any second!"

The two boys groaned and puffed as they heaved, pushed and pulled.

"Come _on_!"

Ryrrikka stopped and glared at her. "Do you want to do this?"

"No, that's why I got you two to do it," Galinda answered, making it clear he shouldn't have asked a question with such an obvious answer.

"Then let us get on with it. This isn't as easy as it looks, you know."

"You can say that again," Boq grumbled.

"But Fiyero –"

"We _know_," Ryrrikka said in exasperation as he returned to pushing. "That's another reason why arguing with you is a waste of time."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Ryrrikka grunted as he gave an extra-hard shove. Unfortunately, he shoved too hard, and soon the large box was toppling forwards.

There was a squeak from inside the box as Boq cried out, trying in vain to protect himself from becoming one squashed Munchkin.

"Carefulll!" Galinda admonished Ryrrikka. "It has to be standing upright by the time Fiyero gets here."

"Gee, thanks a lot," Boq muttered, still struggling against the weight of the box. Even _his_ patience was wearing thin.

"Look," Ryrrikka said, annoyance seeping in his voice, "if you want to be so bloody specific about everything, why don't you come and give us a hand?"

Galinda sniffed and tottered over. She examined the situation close-up and then pronounced, "It's too heavy for me. I'll break a nail. Just do your best, but be quick about it."

With a roll of his eyes and a growl low in his throat, Ryrrikka managed to pull the box upright; and he and Boq soon got it to where Galinda wanted it.

"Thanks, boys," Galinda said cheerfully, all previous grievances forgotten. She ruffled Boq's hair, and the Munchkin boy flushed.

Ryrrikka, however, had not forgotten, and stalked off without a second glance.

Once Galinda had shooed Boq away, she turned to the box. "Won't be long, now," she whispered.

Two minutes later, Galinda could see Fiyero approaching, and a beaming grin lit up her face. On tip-toes, she began waving frantically. "Fiyero!"

"Hey, Glin, what's this all a-?" He stopped short as the box came into his view. With a quizzical frown, he nodded to it. "What's this?"

Galinda giggled and kissed his cheek. "Merry Lurlinemas, Fiyero," she said, before skipping off.

Fiyero stared after her. _What…?_ He shook his head and circled the box several times. It was awfully big…what could be in it? _Well, there's only one way to find out_, he told himself. He found the flap and cautiously lowered it, noting the box was painted green with blue diamonds. At first, he couldn't see anything in the box except for darkness; but then he realized there was a movement…and suddenly, standing before him was Elphaba. She was wearing a long, red evening gown with a gold sash that extended up to the shoulder and was secured with a bow. Another gold bow sat in Elphaba's hair, which has been carefully styled in flowing curls. Her eyelids glittered gold, and her lips were tinged with red.

Fiyero's jaw dropped. He could not speak. He couldn't move. He simply couldn't believe what he was seeing. His breathing began to grow a bit ragged as he took in the sight before him.

"Merry Lurlinemas, Fiyero," Elphaba said softly and shyly.

After a moment, Fiyero managed to react. "You're…_stunning_," he whispered in awe.

Elphaba blushed. "Thankyou." Those lessons from Galinda on accepting compliments graciously were really paying off.

"You got dressed up for me?" It was a more than a whisper this time, but Fiyero couldn't stop the slight quiver in his voice.

Elphaba nodded. "I didn't know what to get you for Lurlinemas…and when you said that you only wanted me…" She shrugged. "It was Galinda's idea," she confessed. "But I thought you might like it."

Fiyero took a hesitant step closer, then stopped, so Elphaba took it upon herself to close the gap.

"I can't believe you did this for me."

Elphaba gave an almost imperceptible one-shouldered shrug. "I love you," she said simply.

It was then that Elphaba noticed that Fiyero's eyes looked suspiciously glassy, and her suspicions were confirmed when Fiyero quickly swiped his thumb along the bottom of one eye.

"I love you, too," he choked out, before sweeping Elphaba into his arms and holding her tightly.

They stood that way for a few minutes, until Elphaba gently pulled away and took Fiyero's face in her hands. She traced his cheeks, his nose, and wiped away a stray tear; and then she pressed her lips to his. "Merry Lurlinemas, Fiyero," she breathed.

"Merry Lurlinemas," Fiyero murmured in return, before kissing her again.


	2. Sleigh-rides and head bumps

**AN: Hi everyone! As Elizabeth said, thank you all so much for your votes and nominations in the Gregs - I think it's awesome that we won Most Humorous Author! :)**

**The prompt for this one was, "Fiyero organizes a romantic sleigh-ride for himself and Elphaba.". Given how much I love writing Fiyeraba fluff, you can imagine I loved writing this!**

**Happy holidays to all of you!**

**Maddy**

* * *

**Sleigh-rides and head bumps**

"So," said Fiyero cheerfully as he led his girlfriend across the snowy campus of Shiz University, "since we agreed not to give one another any presents for Lurlinemas..."

"Which I still think is the stupidest and most unromantic idea ever," Galinda complained as she strode on next to the Vinkun prince.

Elphaba laughed. "We told you, Glin. Fiyero already said that all he wants for Lurlinemas is me," she blushed a little at the thought, still, after all this time, finding it hard to believe that that was true, "and that goes for me, too."

Fiyero planted a kiss in her hair. "Just because we're not doing presents, though, doesn't mean we can't do fun things for Lurlinemas together." His eyes twinkled. "Romantic things."

Galinda squealed. "What kind of romantic things?"

Fiyero stopped walking and turned to the blonde with a frown. "Okay, Glin – one, that's not really any of your business; and two, why are you even here? I said I had a surprise for _Elphaba_, not you. No offence," he added quickly.

Galinda sniffed and crossed her arms. "You said you had a surprise for Elphaba, Fifi. Elphie is my best friend. I want to see the surprise her boyfriend has for her." She giggled, gushing, "And besides, it's so cute to watch you two together! Even better than Nessa and Ryyrrika! Though they are very cute to watch as well," she had to admit. She sighed. "Ugh, I need a boyfriend myself."

Fiyero grinned. "I think I know someone who would be willing..."

Elphaba chortled, which turned into a genuine fit of laughter when said willing person came running up to them, puffing and panting. His face underneath his knitted hat was red with the effort of running and his boots were covered in show.

"Miss Galinda," he said, a little out of breath. "I, um... I have been working on wrapping those presents for you, and they're all finished now. I was just hoping you'd come have a look at them to see if you're pleased with how they turned out."

Galinda gave him a beaming smile. "Of course, Biq, thank you! I'm sure you did a wonderful job!"

"Wait," said Elphaba, holding up both hands. "You talked him into wrapping your Lurlinemas presents for you?"

"I wrapped all one-hundred and twelve for her," Boq said proudly, at which Elphaba's eyes widened and Fiyero choked on his own tongue.

"What?" he managed.

"Yes," Elphaba said, agreeing with her boyfriend. "What?"

"What?" Galinda shrugged. "I have lots of friends, and lots of money. I had to buy presents for you two, for Biq, Nessa, Ryyrrika, Milla, Pfannee, Shenshen, Avaric, Crope, Tibbett –"

"Yes, yes, we get it," Elphaba interrupted her. "You bought presents for all your friends."

"Biq did, actually," Galinda giggled. She patted the Munchkin's head. "He's such a sweetheart – aren't you, Biq?"

Elphaba and Fiyero were just staring at the blonde now.

"Boq," Fiyero said eventually, "you're crazy."

"And Galinda," Elphaba added with a shake of her head, "you're mean."

With that, the couple strode off, leaving the blonde and the Munchkin behind.

"Can you believe her?" Elphaba exclaimed as they walked through the snow. "She got him to buy a hundred and twelve presents and wrap them all for her, too?"

Fiyero sniggered. "I wonder if she had him buy and wrap his own present, too."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but she grinned. "I'll ask her that tonight."

"Let's stop worrying about Galinda and Boq now, though." He took her hand, smiling at her. "Right now, we're going to have some alone time."

Elphaba was wary. "What did you do?"

"Nothing!" he protested, looking a little hurt. "For Oz's sake, Elphaba, I'm just trying to be romantic here!"

She softened. "Sorry." She looped her arm through his, moving closer to him. "I'm just... not used to that, I guess. Someone doing nice... or romantic... things for me."

Fiyero shook his head in not entirely faked disappointment. "Still? After a year of being with me, you're still not used to it?"

"I don't think I will _ever _get used to it," she confessed, dropping her dark head against his shoulder. "Yero... my entire life long, no-one has ever done such things for me. You can't just erase all that in a single year, no matter how badly you want to. And I know you want to," she assured him, smiling up at him. "That's one of the many reasons why I love you."

He dipped his head to kiss her wordlessly and they lost themselves in it for a moment before breaking apart again.

"We're here, by the way," he whispered and she looked up, only to see a sleigh standing there, pulled by a single horse.

"A one-horse open sleigh?" she guessed, laughing softly.

Fiyero smiled and nodded. "I wasn't sure whether you'd prefer the romantic kind of sleigh ride or the fun kind," he said, "so I figured I'd arrange for both."

She saw now that a small, wooden sleigh was attached to the back of the larger one and she chuckled. "Both seem perfect."

He helped her up into the sleigh and then sat down next to her. The driver gave them a wink and then spurred on the horse; and there they went, gliding through the snow.

"Dashing through the snow," Fiyero started singing, "in a one-horse open sleigh..."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Shut up, you idiot," she chided him, but he just grinned at her and started singing louder.

"JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE ALL THE WAY!" he belted and she cringed – he did not have the greatest singing voice. "OH WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE IN A –"

He found himself cut off by a pair of lips on his own and he instantly responded, pulling her closer. He grinned at her when he pulled away. "What was that for?"

"To shut you up," she replied truthfully and he snickered.

"Maybe I should sing like that more often, then."

"Or maybe I should just stop kissing you for the rest of our relationship," she retorted and he instantly closed his mouth, instead drawing his girlfriend into his side and kissing her again. If he had to choose between singing and kissing the gorgeous girl in his arms, he did not have to think long.

The sleigh eventually stopped and Fiyero jumped out, untying the rope the smaller sleigh was attached to and hoisting it up on his shoulders. "Ready for some fun sleigh riding now?" he asked cheerfully.

Elphaba climbed out of the sleigh as well and eyed him warily. "I'm not sure, to be honest."

He laughed and put an arm around her shoulder. They walked up a low hill and Fiyero put the sleigh down.

"Sit," he said.

She hesitated.

"Come on, Fae!"

"I'm not sure I like where this is going."

He made puppy eyes at her. "Please? Trust me?" he asked, knowing she always caved when he asked her that – just like now.

She sighed and sat down. Fiyero climbed on behind her, wrapping his arms securely around her waist and squeezing softly. "Ready?"

"No," she muttered.

He kicked off and they flew down the snowy hill, Fiyero cheering enthusiastically as Elphaba let out a yelp of surprise. The sleigh went faster than she had anticipated and she tightened her grip on it until her knuckles went wide.

"Relax, Fae!" Fiyero chuckled in her ear. Her eyes widened when she saw them coursing straight at a tree, but Fiyero hung to the side, changing direction and manoeuvring the sleigh safely between the trees until it stopped.

He picked it up again, blue eyes shining like a young boy's on Lurlinemas Day. "Again!"

She had to laugh at seeing him like that and she agreed. Minutes later, they went down the hill once again, but it wasn't as scary anymore this time around. She hated the lack of control that came with sleigh riding, but she liked the exhilaration and the thrill that ran through her every time they went down; and it made her feel safe to know that Fiyero was right behind her and would never let anything happen to her. It was a strange feeling, but one she had come to love over the past year.

She turned out to be right about Fiyero not letting anything happen to her; because when he lost control of the sleigh at some point and they went straight for a tree, he wrapped his arms around her protectively and threw his weight to the side. They both lost their balance and fell into the snow. Because he was protecting her head, however, she ended up covered in snow, but otherwise completely fine; while Fiyero slammed his head against a tree with a painful-sounding _crack_.

He grunted, his hand flying up to his head. "Ouch."

"Yero!" She crawled towards him and sat on her knees, cupping his face, her dark eyes worried. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," he groaned, still rubbing the spot on his head. "I have a hard head."

"That was also a hard tree," she retorted, carefully removing his hand. Her eyes widened. "You're bleeding!"

He looked down at his fingers, which were indeed sticky with blood. "I am?" he asked, dazed.

For a moment, her mind flashed back to that day with the Lion cub; but she shook it off and grabbed a handful of snow, gently pressing it against the wound on his head. "Here. I told you this was dangerous!"

He shrugged. "And I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you. Which I didn't." He grinned that lopsided grin of his. "I never said anything about myself."

She rolled her eyes. "You're such an idiot!"

"So you keep telling me," he teased her, pulling her down so that they both toppled over. He kissed her. "But better me than you. I'm fine, Fae. Don't worry about it."

They did decide to go back then, just to be sure; and Fiyero wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked back to the horse-drawn sleigh.

"Did you have fun?" he asked. "You know, aside from me trying to knock some sense into myself by banging my head against a tree?"

She chuckled and leant up to kiss his cheek. "Yes, Yero, I had fun. Thank you."

He squeezed her closer for a moment. "You're welcome."

The ride back to Shiz was quiet, but it was a comfortable silence. Fiyero, at Elphaba's insistence, kept a handkerchief drenched in cold snow pressed against his head wound; while she curled into his side, her head on his shoulder.

Once they reached campus, she went with him to his dorm room. She didn't even take off her coat before striding into the bathroom to grab the First Aid box she knew he kept there and she made him sit down on his bed as she gingerly cleaned the wound and covered it with some gauze, tending to it until she was satisfied. Only then did she allow him to pull off her coat and she kicked off her boots before sitting back on the bed next to him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, concern clouding her chocolate brown eyes. "Shouldn't I take you to the infirmary? What if you have a concussion?"

"It wasn't _that _hard," he protested. He pressed a kiss to her nose. "Stop worrying, Fae. I'm perfectly fine."

"Okay." She didn't seem convinced. "If you say so."

He decided to try a different approach to convince her and he pressed his lips to hers, holding her to him. She kissed him back, deepening it quickly, and he pulled her back with him onto his bed. He grinned when he heard her contented sigh between kisses and he nuzzled her temple, pressing soft kisses down the side of her face to her neck and then back up to her lips again.

"I love you," he whispered and she opened her eyes to look at him.

"I love you, too." She kissed him again. "And thank you for arranging all this. I loved it. It was very romantic and very sweet."

He smiled. "I'm glad."

"You know?" she murmured as she nestled her head on his chest, right beneath his chin. "I think I like this way of spending Lurlinemas even better from the way we spent it last year. Just you and me, doing fun things together... I mean, I loved Lurlinemas last year," she said, "but I just like how... quiet this is. No big fuss, no presents..."

"Don't get used to it," he warned her as he kissed her jaw. "I like making a big fuss over you and giving you presents, you know that. Wait until our anniversary."

She tensed. "Oh, Oz."

He chuckled and kissed her once more. "Now don't be overdramatic," he chided her. "Some occasions just ask for a big fuss, Fae." He trailed his hands down her arm. "But I can promise you that we'll have more of these quiet days together, if you like that. Lurlinemas Day we'll have to spend with the others..."

"I don't mind that," she hastened to clarify. "I love spending it with Galinda, Nessa, Boq, and Ryyrrika."

"I know you do. But I was thinking maybe we could make Lurlinemas Eve just about the two of us," he suggested, cocking his head slightly to the side.

She blushed and nodded. "I'd like that."

He smiled, looking down at his girlfriend. His head was throbbing a little, but he didn't mind so much. Sitting here with her like this, kissing her and just having her in his arms, was one of his favourite things in the world.

He would gladly take a head wound for her every single day if that meant she would stay with him for the rest of their lives.


	3. Clues and celebrations

**AN: Chapter 3 is finally here! Maddy's prompt for me was: 'It's Fiyeraba's one-year anniversary and Elphaba decides to leave a trail of mysterious clues for Fiyero to follow to his present. Fiyero decides to give Elphaba a kitten.' **

**We hope everyone had a lovely Christmas, and all the best for 2015!**

**Elizabeth. xx**

* * *

**Clues and celebrations**

_Smack_.

"Oh, not again!" Elphaba groaned.

Galinda looked up with a frown. "Not what again?"

"Your card-kissing. You're seriously doing this for Lurlinemas as well? A card to every boy on campus?"

"Nope." Galinda shook her head, her golden curls bouncing about. "A card to every _person_ on campus."

Elphaba choked. "_What_?" she exclaimed in shock. "To _everyone_? Kisses and all? Including…to the girls?"

Galinda giggled. "No, silly! The girls get a different card. See?" She held up examples of the two types of cards, prompting Elphaba to exhale in relief.

"You had me worried for a moment there, Glin," the green girl admitted.

"What are _you_ doing?" Galinda asked, peering over Elphaba's shoulder.

Elphaba hesitated. "Well…can I trust you to keep a secret?"

Galinda's eyes widened and she nodded frantically, miming zipping her lips and tossing away the key. "What is it?"

"I know you have trouble sometimes, but…you haven't told anyone my secret, have you? About my mother? So…if you could…treat this one like that? Please?"

"I promise! I promise! Get one with it," Galinda cried impatiently, urging Elphaba on with her hands.

"Well…it's our anniversary coming up, and –"

Galinda frowned. "Huh? We have an anniversary? If you mean our friendship anniversary, you've got the wrong date, sweetie."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Not _our_ anniversary," she said, gesturing between them, "_our_ anniversary. Mine and Fiyero's. It's been almost a year since we got together." She blushed.

Galinda squealed and started bouncing up and down in excitement. "Oh, my Oz, so it has! So what are you going to do?"

"I'm not entirely sure yet," Elphaba admitted. "That's what I'm working on now. But I was thinking maybe it would be fun to make him work for his present."

"Oh, Elphie," Galinda scolded her friend with a tiny frown, "that is so mean. Unless you're talking about making him kiss you a lot." She giggled. "I'm sure he'd enjoy that."

"I don't mean make him do anything too hard or anything, just…well, I had this idea…it probably sounds stupid…"

"What is it? Tell me!"

"Well…I thought maybe if I left him a trail of clues to his present…"

Galinda squealed loudly. "Oh, my Oz, that is _so perfect_! It's so romantic! He'll love that! What's the present?"

Elphaba grimaced. "That's the hitch – I don't know what to give him."

"So let me get this straight," Galinda said. "You're not giving each other presents for Lurlinemas, but you are for your anniversary?"

Elphaba shrugged. "We didn't really discuss our anniversary in _that_ much depth; we just sort of acknowledged it was coming up and talked about what we might like to do to celebrate. We never mentioned presents. But I want to give him something." She paused, before deciding to tell Galinda exactly what was on her mind. "I just…want to show Fiyero how much I appreciate him and everything he's done for me. I never dreamt anyone would want me…you know? So for someone like him to want me, and to go to so much trouble to make me want him, and with everything he's done…I just…" Her throat clogged up and she kept gesturing uselessly with her hands, unable to go on.

Galinda's eyes softened and she hugged her friend. "I know, Elphie."

"I love him," Elphaba choked out in a whisper as tears filled her eyes, and she wrapped her arms around Galinda's slight form.

"You need to tell him this," Galinda said quietly. "Just a gift won't do it. He's the one who needs to know how you feel about him; how much he means to you."

"I've tried…but…it was hard enough to tell you just then," Elphaba admitted. "I don't know if I can tell Fiyero. I've only just got used to telling him I love him."

Galinda's eyes lit up. "Then do what you do best!"

Elphaba frowned, puzzled, and pulled away to look up at the blonde. "What do you mean?"

"_Write_ to him about it!"

"Write to him?"

Galinda nodded. "Sure! I mean, you said you wanted to leave a trail of clues, right? Well, incorporate your feelings into the clues. Maybe include things that are special to you both or something."

Elphaba nodded slowly, the gears in her brain beginning to whirr. "That's a really good idea, Glin. Thanks," she said with a smile.

Galinda wiped the tears off Elphaba's cheeks and returned the smile. "I can't wait to see what you come up with."

* * *

Galinda had been giggling at him all day.

It was very annoying.

And extremely frustrating. Usually, she couldn't wait to open her mouth and babble about whatever was on her mind. But this time… Fiyero sighed. He'd even tried asking her directly why she was giggling, but no dice. What was the world coming to when even Galinda couldn't be relied upon to divulge all her – and everyone else's – little secrets?

He couldn't get much out of Elphaba, either, but it was different with her. For some reason, she kept tapping everything and looking either worried or nervous – which, he couldn't quite tell. But it was starting to make _him_ worried and nervous. It was supposed to be their anniversary, and here they were, barely saying anything to each other. It wasn't exactly as he'd imagined the day to go.

Finally, after lunch, Fiyero managed to pull Elphaba aside – the first time he'd managed to do so that day apart from a quick, "Happy Anniversary" and a kiss that morning.

"Alright, what's going on?" Fiyero asked lightly.

Elphaba looked up at him, and Fiyero could have sworn she batted her eyelashes. "What do you mean?"

"You and Galinda. She keeps giggling at me, and you keep acting nervous or worried or…something."

Elphaba chewed her lip for a moment before sighing. "I suppose you'll need to know sooner or later."

Fiyero immediately began to panic and he gripped Elphaba's arms tighter. "What? What do I need to know? Is there something wrong? Did something happen? Are you ill? Elphaba, tell me!"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Fiyero, calm down. It's nothing bad…I hope. I mean…if it is, then that's for you to say, not for me to say."

Fiyero frowned. "I really don't follow that."

"It's about tonight."

"Tonight?"

Elphaba nodded. "I…I've arranged something. For us. For our anniversary."

Fiyero eyes lit up. "You have?"

Elphaba nodded again. "I just…don't know if you'll like it. Galinda seems to think you will, but you know her. Always positive."

"And I know you," Fiyero added, "always negative. I'm sure whatever it is, I'll love it."

"Elphie!"

Elphaba looked over her shoulder to see Galinda waving her over. She turned back to Fiyero and quickly kissed him. "I'll pick you up at eight. In a manner of speaking." She paused, then added, "And make sure you wear something suitable. A suit, maybe."

"In a…?" But she was gone.

'In a manner of speaking'? What did she mean by that?

* * *

At one minute to eight that evening, Fiyero looked at his reflection in the mirror. He straightened his tie, made sure his hair was in place, and then checked his watch. At that moment, there was knock on the door, and Fiyero smiled. Always right on the dot.

He opened the door, but was confused when there was no-one there. He stepped out to have a better look and felt something crinkle under his shoes. Looking down, Fiyero saw it was an envelope with his name on it. Suddenly feeling a bit apprehensive, he opened the envelope and read the note inside.

'"_Maybe the driver saw green and thought it meant go."_

_It wasn't the most romantic of pick-up lines, to be sure. And it gave me the perfect excuse to hate your guts for a long while. Every time I began to think well of you, I reminded myself of what you had said and immediately kicked you back out of my good books. And it worked for a while...but some things change, whether or not you want them to. At the time, I didn't know I wanted them to. But I'm so glad they did._

_And now, here we are today, celebrating our first anniversary as a couple. I still can't believe someone like you wants to be with someone like me, when all my life I never expected _anyone_ to so much as look at me. Tonight, I want to show you just how much I appreciate everything you have done for me and given me. Tonight, I want to give something back._

_There's something waiting for you at the place of our first meeting. Good luck and I'll meet you at the end. I love you._

_Elphaba.'_

It was a very honest note, one which made Fiyero grimace, chuckle and become perhaps a little bit emotional in turn. Lastly, though, he was curious. Curious as to what tonight held in store; curious as to what was waiting for him in the courtyard. With one last glance in the mirror, Fiyero locked the door and hurried off.

* * *

The courtyard was dimly-lit and it was snowing lightly. Fiyero looked around through squinted eyes, but couldn't see anything out-of-the-ordinary. He ventured further over, closer to the far side, only stopping when he thought he saw a movement. "Hello?"

"Hello, Fiyero."

Fiyero moved closer to the soft voice and saw the outline of someone sitting down. "…Nessa? What are you doing here?"

Nessarose held out another envelope. "Fabala asked me to give you this."

Fiyero took the envelope. "Thankyou."

"Aren't you going to ask me what this is all about?"

Fiyero shook his head. "Elphaba obviously has everything worked out. I trust her." He noticed that although Nessarose was rugged up and had a blanket draped across her lap, she was shivering. "You should probably get back into the warmth," he said gently.

"Just a moment." Nessarose reached out and touched Fiyero's arm. "I just wanted to thank you."

Fiyero was surprised. "Thank me? What for?"

"For being there for Fabala. For loving her. For caring for her. For the way you treat her. For…well…everything, really. She's been so much happier since she found you. I'm so grateful to you, Fiyero," Nessarose said sincerely.

Fiyero smiled softly. "There's no need to thank me. I love her, and that's how it's going to stay." He bent down and hugged her.

"Happy Anniversary," Nessarose whispered, before pulling away and wheeling off with a small wave.

Fiyero waited until she was out of sight before attempting to read the second note. It was difficult to make out the words, in the dim light, but he eventually managed it.

'_You tried so hard to convince me of your feelings, and I refused to believe you. I guess when a supposed playboy tells a green, social outcast that he loves her, it is kind of difficult to believe. But you persisted, no matter how much I insulted you or how hard I tried to push you away, and you somehow succeeded. The clincher was when you first kissed me. I had never even thought about being kissed in my life because I honestly didn't expect anyone to want to kiss me. And when you told me there was nothing you would rather be doing...the sincerity in that statement, and in your eyes...I believed you. I still do believe you._

_That was our unofficial beginning; and, in some ways, I think that may be more important than our official beginning, because that was when I began to realize exactly how things stood between us. It was when I began to realize that maybe I didn't have to go through this life alone._

_I'm sure you remember very clearly that first kiss. That's all I'm going to say.'_

Fiyero grinned. Of course he remembered that first kiss. How could he not? Next stop: the cave.

* * *

"Elphaba?" Fiyero called as he stepped into the cave.

"Sorry to disappoint you, mate." Ryrrikka stepped forward and handed Fiyero a third envelope. "But Happy Anniversary, anyway."

"Aw, what, no anniversary kiss?" Fiyero joked.

Ryrrikka raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to be the one to tell Elphaba?"

Fiyero grimaced. "Okay, no anniversary kiss," he agreed hastily. He gestured to the envelope. "Thanks for this."

Ryrrikka shook Fiyero's hand. "Enjoy your evening."

Fiyero grinned. "I'm sure I shall."

Once Ryrrikka had gone, Fiyero tore open the envelope. He was becoming increasingly impatient to see Elphaba, and his curiosity was rising.

The third note read as follows:

'_When we got together officially, everything felt so surreal. I was certain it was all either a dream or a cruel joke. I know you would never do that to me, but when you've spent your entire life being the butt of cruel jokes...well, it's hard not to think that's what everything good is. But it wasn't a joke and I didn't wake up. It was all real. It _is_ all real. I was so certain you would want someone from the upper classes – and before you protest that I _am_ from the upper classes, remember, Fiyero, that's my family, not me. I thought you would want one of those pretty, petite blondes who giggle over everything you say and constantly stroke your ego (not to mention the rest of you). Afterall, who would want a weird, green spitfire? Surely not a prince such as yourself, accustomed to nothing but the best. But you made it so clear that day that you genuinely wanted me above any other girl that I couldn't deny my feelings any longer. I am so glad I said 'yes' when you asked me that day to be your girlfriend. I know how much that moment means to you, and it means even more to me. Maybe you would like to relive that moment?'_

* * *

Fiyero stood on the embankment for a moment, just looking at the tree near Suicide Canal. Elphaba was right – Fiyero loved reliving the moment when she had agreed to be his girlfriend. In that moment, Fiyero had finally felt like his life had a purpose. Instead of just being all about when he took over the throne from his father, it was now all about this beautiful girl he loved and who loved him in return. It was much more fulfilling than thinking about all those royal duties.

Going on what had happened so far, Fiyero figured there would be another note for him waiting under the tree. He looked at his watch. It was quarter to nine already. He really didn't want to keep Elphaba waiting.

He was only halfway to the tree when a familiar squeal reached his ears.

"Fiyero!"

Fiyero grinned, knowing instantly it was Galinda jumping up and down, waving like a lunatic. As soon as he reached her, Galinda threw her arms around him and squeezed him tightly.

"Happy Anniversary, Fiyero!" She began jumping again without letting go of him, the result of which was a crushed toe for Fiyero.

"Ow!"

Galinda immediately jumped back. "I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"

Fiyero tried to grin through his grimace. "I'm fine."

"This is for you." Galinda thrust another envelope into Fiyero's hands and flung her scarf back around her neck. "Isn't it so exciting?" she gushed, beginning to giggle at him again as she had done all day. "I think it's so exciting. Elphie sure can be romantic when she wants to be!"

Fiyero looked at her curiously. "Oh?"

Galinda slapped her gloved hands across her dainty mouth, her eyes wide. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! Oh, Elphie's going to kill me… You won't say anything to her, will you?" she begged.

Amused, Fiyero shook his head. "I won't say anything."

"Good. Just…forget I said anything." She paused, before narrowing her eyes at Fiyero. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to read the note?"

"Yes."

"Now?"

"In…in a minute."

Galinda raised an eyebrow. "In a minute?"

"Uh…"

"Oh!" Galinda giggled. "You mean when I'm gone. You could have said."

"I didn't want to offend you."

Galinda waved him away. "It is offensive to not be wanted around, but this is your and Elphie's anniversary. She's got things sorted. I understand." She hugged Fiyero again and kissed his cheek, before skipping away, singing, "Happy Anniversary to yooou! Happy Anniversary to yooou! Happy Anniversary to Elphie and Fiyero! Happy Anniversary to yooou!"

Fiyero heard her take a big breath before starting again, and he shook his head with a laugh as he eagerly opened the envelope and read what he hoped was the last note.

'_You will probably guess this one quite quickly, so I'm going to keep the note short. All I really need to say is that it didn't turn out exactly as either of us had imagined it, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.'_

Fiyero frowned. This one had him stumped. What did it mean? Didn't turn out as they'd imagined… What didn't? He stared at the piece of paper as though the answer would suddenly appear in plain writing; but, unsurprisingly, nothing happened.

And then a thought occurred to him. Pulling out the other notes, he quickly read them through, the cogs in his brain turning all the while. The first note told him to go to where they had first met. The second one told him to go to where they had their first kiss. And the third told him to go to where they had become a couple. If Elphaba was consistent – and she usually was – the next place would be the place where the next important event in their relationship took place. And what was the next important event in their relationship? Their first date, that's what.

Fiyero hurried off to the small lake, wondering if it had frozen over again this year.

* * *

"Boq?"

"And about time, too." Boq grumbled. He thrust his piece of paper into Fiyero's hands and quickly shoved his own into his pockets. "Man, it's freezing out here."

"Thanks a lot, Boq."

Boq softened slightly. "Sorry. I'm just not used to cold like this. Happy Anniversary."

"Thanks," Fiyero replied sincerely. "You'd better go and get warmed up if you're that cold."

"Thanks," Boq said gratefully, hurrying off.

"This had better be the last one, Elphaba," Fiyero muttered as he tore open the envelope and just about devoured the note.

Which was even shorter than the previous one.

'_It all began there.'_

"What? But I've already been to the courtyard! I bet she's laughing at me now, going around in circles." Fiyero set off at a run, but when he arrived at the courtyard, there was no-one there. No Elphaba, no note…nothing. Fiyero let out a grunt of frustration and read the note again. "'It all began there…' But it all began _here_! This is where we first met…" Fiyero trailed off as he realized there was one place he hadn't yet been. One very important place.

He quickly found out that it was impossible to kick yourself for being so stupid whilst running without falling over.

* * *

Fiyero's jaw dropped with a soft gasp as he moved towards the clearing. He could see the soft glow of candlelight and, stepping past the trees, he saw a table and two chairs. The table was laid ready for a meal, and he could have sworn he could hear soft music playing in the background.

Moving closer still, he noticed a smallish but bulky-looking parcel on the table. A small card was neatly taped to the top, and Fiyero bent over slightly to read it.

'_Happy Anniversary, darling. I love you so much and I don't know what I would do without you. xx'_

With a smile, Fiyero carefully unwrapped what he now realized was a gift. When he had shed it of its protective coat, his eyes widened at the exquisite beauty of the object before him. It was a blown-glass ornament depicting a girl giving a boy her heart. Realizing the significance of this gift, tears sprang to Fiyero's eyes.

"One of the hardest things I've ever done was to give you my heart."

Fiyero spun around to see Elphaba standing behind him, all dressed up, blushing, but with a beautiful smile on her face.

"But it was more than worth it."

Lost for words, Fiyero gingerly placed the ornament on the table and strode over to Elphaba, sweeping her into his arms and crushing her to his chest.

They stayed that way for a long time until Elphaba tried to pull away and found she couldn't. "Yero?" And then she realized he was shaking. "Yero?" she asked again, this time worriedly.

Fiyero finally released Elphaba from his embrace; and when she looked up, Elphaba realized Fiyero's face was streaked with tears.

"Yero?" she asked a third time, reaching up and brushing at the salty water.

"I love you so much," Fiyero finally managed to croak out, his voice husky. He swallowed. "The gift is beautiful. And you are even more so." He pressed his lips firmly to Elphaba's, almost taking her breath away.

"I love you, too." Elphaba gently wiped Fiyero's cheeks and kissed him again before leading him back over to the table. "We'd better eat before it gets too cold out here. I just hope the snow doesn't put out the candles."

Fiyero nodded his silent agreement and took Elphaba's hand as they sat down at the table. "Thankyou. It's perfect. And those notes…everything you wrote about your feelings…" Tearing up again, Fiyero finished, "I love you."

Elphaba smiled softly. "I love you, too."

* * *

Later, the couple retired to Fiyero's suite, where they curled up with each other on the sofa with glasses of mulled wine.

"Thankyou for a lovely evening," Fiyero murmured, putting his arm around Elphaba and pulling her close. "And for being my girlfriend."

Elphaba snuggled into his side. "Thankyou for being my boyfriend," she returned. "I don't know what I'd do without you anymore," she admitted.

"And I don't know what _I_ would do without _you_."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, until Elphaba let out a small yawn.

"Tired?"

Elphaba nodded. "I think I could go to sleep right here."

Fiyero chuckled. "Well, don't go to sleep just yet. The evening isn't quite over."

Elphaba looked up at Fiyero curiously. "What do you mean?"

Fiyero stood, and Elphaba let out a grunt of protest as she lost contact with his warmth. "Stay here; I'll be back in a moment."

As she waited, Elphaba's eyes began to drift shut, but they snapped open when she heard a tiny noise, knowing immediately what it was. She turned to find Fiyero standing there holding a tiny, black kitten with big, blue eyes.

"Happy Anniversary, Fae."

Elphaba gasped. "Is that…?"

Fiyero nodded, stroking the kitten with his thumb. "It's your anniversary present. I was in town the other day when I saw that someone was selling kittens…and, well," he coughed delicately, "I can never resist looking at cute little kittens, so I went in, and…well, I saw this little fella here and thought maybe you would like him. Or her – I'm not sure which it is, yet." He sat down and passed the kitten over the Elphaba, who gently lifted it onto her lap and stroked the soft fur.

"It's such a gorgeous little thing," she murmured, looking up at Fiyero. "Thankyou," she said softly, before returning her attention to the kitten as it mewed.

Fiyero put his arm around Elphaba and stroked the kitten with his free hand. It was a wonderful feeling: like he had his own little family.


	4. Dreams and fires

**AN: I'm really sorry this took so long, guys, but here is (finally) the last chapter of _Lurlinemas Can Be Romantic, Too_!**

**Elizabeth's prompt for me was: "Write a one-shot inspired by the _Winter Wonderland _line "Later on, we'll conspire; as we dream by the fire"."**

* * *

**Dreams and fires**

"Would you like a hug, Sir Pounce-A-Lot?" Galinda cooed. "You would, wouldn't you? Come here!"

"Galinda," Elphaba said tiredly, "we are _not _naming him Sir Pounce-A-Lot."

"Are you sure? Because I think it sounds really cute." Galinda frowned when the kitten squirmed itself free from her arms and fell to the floor with a soft thud. It immediately shot over to Elphaba's side of the room, hiding beneath the green girl's bed.

Elphaba stifled a laugh. "I think he doesn't like to be smothered, either." She bent forward to peer under the bed. "Don't worry, hon, I get where you're coming from. Galinda can be a little overwhelming sometimes."

"Um, hello?" Galinda waved a hand. "I'm right here, you know!"

"I know," Elphaba replied drily, earning herself a glare and a huff from her roommate.

"How about Kitty? Or Tiger?" Galinda thought out loud. "Or Midnight, or Princess... if it's a girl, of course. Is it a girl?"

"I don't know," Elphaba said. "Maybe we should go with a gender-neutral name, just in case."

"Hmm... maybe." Galinda tilted her head a little to the side. "What does Fiyero think?"

"That I should name him myself, since he – or she – is mine now." Elphaba had managed to coax the kitten out from underneath the bed. She picked it up now and placed it on top of the covers, where it curled up in a ball.

"Miss Mittens," Galinda offered. "Or Mr Mittens, of course. Or you name him after the cat in that fairy-tale – Puss in Boots!"

Elphaba cackled. "I'm not going to name my cat Puss in Boots, Galinda!"

Galinda giggled as she sat down at her desk. "I guess it's a little weird." She spun in circles on her desk chair. "Are you spending Lurlinemas Eve with Fiyero?"

"Yes." Elphaba stroked the kitten. "He's coming to pick me up soon."

"Are you two going to kiss all night?" Galinda puckered her lips and half-closed her eyes, making kissing noises. "Spend a romantic evening together?"

"I suppose so."

Galinda pouted. "You haven't made plans?"

"If we had, I wouldn't tell you," said Elphaba, which made her friend huff again and turn away from her.

She turned back quickly enough, however. "Elphie?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you and Fiyero..." She trailed off suggestively.

Elphaba frowned. "What?"

"Well, you know, did you two... do it?"

"Do _what_, Galinda?"

The blonde sighed. "Oh, come on, Elphie. You know what I mean! _It_!" she stressed.

"Galinda, I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"I'M ASKING WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE HAD SEX!"

"Whoa," Fiyero said from the doorway, looking a bit taken aback. "Bad timing?"

Galinda flushed. Elphaba flushed even brighter.

"I'll come back later," Fiyero said, turning around.

"No, it's fine!" Galinda cried. "We, um... we were just... having girl talk, I guess."

"We were having girl talk?" Elphaba echoed incredulously. "_You_ were asking me the most inappropriate question ever asked in human history!"

"What do you mean, inappropriate?" Galinda defended herself. "I'm your friend, Elphie! Friends are supposed to tell one another these things!"

Elphaba snorted. Galinda scowled and crossed her arms. "So, did you?"

Instead of replying, Elphaba picked up the kitten and, cradling it in her arms, stalked over to the door. She grabbed Fiyero's arm and pulled him with her as she strode out of the room without answering Galinda.

"Fae?" Fiyero asked, but she shook her head.

"Fae," he tried again, "I get that this was a little awkward... I'm sorry, I should have knocked first –"

"No," she cut him off. "It wasn't your fault – it was hers. You don't _ask _a question like that!"

"It's not that strange, you know," he tried to soothe her. "I mean, my friends ask it sometimes, too. You two are best friends and for as far as I know, girls discuss these things with one another."

Elphaba sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Was I being rude?"

"A little," Fiyero said truthfully and she grumbled under her breath.

"I guess I should go back to apologise, then." She shivered, suddenly realising she forgot to bring her coat. "And to get my coat."

Fiyero chuckled. "Here. I'll hold Little Yero."

"We're not naming the cat Little Yero!" Elphaba exclaimed, throwing her hands up into the air. "Especially not since that makes me think about something entirely different!"

Fiyero grinned widely when he realised what she meant. "And you don't like to think about that?"

"I'm not even answering that."

He chuckled. "Fair enough."

She glared at him before pushing the kitten into his arms and going back up to her room, where Galinda was still sitting.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out the moment she came in. "I overreacted a little. And no, we haven't done anything yet."

Galinda giggled. "It's fine, Elphie, really. I know how dramatic you can get about these things." She waved at her roommate. "Have fun with Fiyero."

"You have fun tonight, too." Elphaba waved back, took her coat, and left the room again.

Fiyero was still waiting downstairs, talking softly to the kitten. Its ears twisted when it heard Elphaba approach and it turned its blue eyes on her, melting her instantly.

"Maybe we should call you Galinda," Elphaba said to the small animal as she took it back from Fiyero and scratched it between the ears. "She can give me that same look whenever she wants something from me."

Fiyero laughed. "What if it turns out to be male?"

Elphaba grinned. "Then I'm going to have a lot of fun."

He put his arm around her shoulders and they walked to his dorm room together. After taking off their coats and shoes, Elphaba sat cross-legged on the floor to play with the kitten while Fiyero tried to get a fire going in the fireplace. The small thing meowed and tried to swat at Elphaba's finger, making her laugh.

Fiyero smiled from where he was poking at the fire. "I'm glad you like my anniversary present for you," he teased.

She smiled, too. "Well, you are setting the standard very high for yourself, you know," she said, raising one eyebrow at him. "What are you getting me next year?"

"A puppy?" he suggested and she poked out her tongue.

"I'm serious, though," she said. "Valentine's Day is coming up in a few months as well. How in Oz are you going to top a trip to the Emerald City, where you not only indulged in my love for libraries and museums, but also rented off an entire restaurant for dinner and then took me to the theatre, where we had the best seats ever?"

He opened his mouth, but then he faltered. "I… um…"

"Oh, relax, Yero." She rose to her feet and moved over to where he was sitting, wrapping her arms around him from behind. "I don't even want you to try and top last year. You know I'd be completely fine with not celebrating Valentine's Day at all, because no matter how amazing it was last year, I still hate it."

He grinned. "Of course you do." He took her in his arms and kissed her gently. "But I want to spoil you."

"I think you've already spoilt me enough for a lifetime." She looked up at him. "Just promise me one thing."

"What?" he asked.

She placed both hands flat against his chest. "No fighting this Valentine's Day."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "If I remember correctly, you were the one who started it."

That, of course, earned him a glare. He chuckled. "I know, I know. Am I wrong, though?"

She sighed. "Not really," she admitted. "But if you and Galinda hadn't been so suspiciously close, I would never have thought that you two were together again."

"I hope you realise now that I would never do that to you," he said, suddenly solemn. "I know you were uncertain back then about our relationship and that you didn't fully trust the fact that I love you, but I hope you do now."

Her heart melted at that and she leant up to kiss him again, winding her arms around his neck. "I won't say that I'm completely confident now," she said softly, "because you know me better than that. But… I guess I do believe you love me, now." She blushed. "And I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions that time. It was immature and stupid of me and I only did it because I still couldn't believe you had actually chosen me. I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop – I guess I was maybe subconsciously even searching for any sign that might point in the direction of you not really loving me, and that would have gone wrong eventually." She looked into his eyes. "Thank you," she said. "For not giving up on me, and for trying so hard to get me back."

He had no idea what to say to that – also, he was afraid he might cry if he did say something – so instead he just kissed her hard, lowering her onto the couch. She deepened the kiss and they kissed for a long while before being interrupted by a loud, indignant mew.

They looked up, faces flushed and hair tangled. The kitten was sitting on the floor beside them, clearly trying to get onto the couch as well, but failing.

"Oh, you poor thing!" Elphaba exclaimed as she sat up and picked the kitten up, hugging it close. "I'm sorry, sweetie, did we forget about you?"

"There you have it," Fiyero said dramatically. "Now she's going to give all her attention to another man."

"Or woman," Elphaba grinned. "We're still not sure." She stroked the cat, which nestled itself in the green girl's lap.

"Fae?" Fiyero asked after a brief time of silence during which they both stared at the flames in the fireplace, lost in thought. "Do you ever think about the future?"

"Sometimes. Why?"

"How do you see it?"

She was quiet for a while, thinking about that.

"I don't really know," she said eventually. "I mean… I never really thought about it much, since I always assumed I'd have to return to Munchkinland to keep caring for Nessa. I sometimes dreamt of working for the Wizard, making a difference in Oz… but those were exactly that – dreams." She looked at him. "Why? How do _you _see it?" she asked curiously.

He, too, was quiet for a moment, but not because he had to think about his answer; he was just contemplating whether or not he should tell her. It might overwhelm her a little, but it was how he felt.

"I thought about it a lot," he said honestly. "I just…" He looked at her, watching him with those big, brown eyes of hers, stroking the kitten in her lap; and again, that feeling washed over him. He didn't want anyone else. He could picture it as clearly as if it had already happened.

"I see you," he said. "I see us graduating Shiz together, along with Nessa, Ryyrrika, Boq, and Galinda." That was the safe part of his answer. "I see myself executing the perfect proposal for you."

She blinked, clearly taken aback; but now that he'd started, he didn't seem able to stop. "I see us getting married," he continued. "The bridesmaids will wear dresses, and the groomsmen ties, in the exact colour of your skin. You won't be wearing white, but something similar – silver, maybe, or ivory. You'll come walking down that aisle towards me and I'll be the happiest man alive. We'll live in the Vinkus together and… and we'll have children. I don't know how many, exactly, but they'll have your hair and my eyes, or maybe just the other way around, and they'll be adorable, beautiful little bookworms that dance through life…" He smiled at the mental image. "We'll have cats – or a dog, maybe. I think the kids would like a dog. We'll grow old, the children will grow up, and then we'll be grandparents. And then at some point far, very far into the future, you and I will both die of old age in the middle of the night – the same night, obviously, because I wouldn't want to live a single day longer than you do." He shook his head, bringing himself back to the present and realising that he had said that all aloud. He could feel a red colour creeping up into his cheeks. "That's how I see it," he finished sheepishly. Oz, he hoped he hadn't scared her off now.

She was staring at him, her hand still on the black kitten's small body and her eyes wide.

He grimaced. "Look, I know this is all a little… um… much, maybe…"

"You think?" she asked, her voice higher than usual. "You thought about the colour of the groomsmen's ties on our wedding!"

"Only because I love your skin colour!" he protested, although he did realise that planning the colour of his groomsmen's ties was maybe a little ridiculous when there was not even any prospect of an actual wedding. He suddenly felt a little like a male Galinda.

"Do you…" She averted her gaze for a moment, looking at the fire before looking back at him. "Do you mean that? All of that?"

He nodded immediately. "Yes. All of that," he said, not a trace of doubt in his voice – or his mind.

He looked at the fire, not wanting to look at her. He wasn't sure how she'd react. Maybe she'd freak out completely and break up with him. Maybe she'd give him a sympathetic look and tell him that she never planned on staying with him for that long, that this was all just for fun. He doubted that, but in that moment, all kinds of thoughts flashed through his head.

Needless to say, he was extremely surprised when she suddenly tackled him, flinging her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

"I love you," she choked out, her voice thick with tears. "I never thought anyone could love me, but you... you're amazing. You're Yero, my hero and I still can't believe that you really think that way about me, about our relationship... about us..." She sniffled. "I never thought I'd have this. Ever. But I love that I do – that _we _do. I know I don't say this enough, but... I really, really love you, Yero. More than anything in the world. I don't talk a lot about how I feel and I know you find that hard sometimes, which was one of the reasons why I wrote you all those notes for our anniversary... but maybe I need to say these things more, because you say them to me all the time."

"Hey," he interjected, cupping her face with both hands and wiping some stray tears off her cheeks. "Fae... you know I don't want you to feel obligated to say or do anything. I love you just the way you are. You don't have to change for me. You don't have to say those things if you don't want to."

"But I _do _want to." She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. "I love you," she said again. "I love how brainless you can be sometimes, because I think it's adorable. I love the way you run your fingers through your hair when you're nervous. I love the way you look at me and everything you've done for me, and are still doing every day. I don't think you realise how much you really mean to me," she said softly, lowering her gaze. "How much you've changed me, and the way I think about myself and about the world. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me."

By then, it had gotten really, _really _hard for him to hold back his tears.

"You've really got to stop doing this," he croaked, wiping at his eyes, and she smiled softly.

"Sorry."

He grinned and drew her closer. She nestled herself in his arms and the kitten, not wanting to be left out, padded over to them and clambered on top of Fiyero's shoulder, where it curled up like it was the most comfortable place in the world.

"I thought you'd freak out," Fiyero confessed. "If I told you all that. It just... slipped out."

"I'm glad it did," Elphaba said quietly. "I mean... yes, it's a little overwhelming. I certainly didn't expect to hear it, and quite frankly, I thought I was going to freak out for a moment, too."

He chuckled softly.

"But then I realised I didn't really feel the panic I expected to feel," she continued. "I just felt... happy. It feels right, somehow." She looked up at him. "I can't say I really care about the colour of the bridesmaids' dresses or the groomsmen's ties," she said with a small grin, making him chuckle again, "or what _I _will be wearing... and to be completely honest, I'm not entirely convinced on the subject of children, either."

"We'll work on that," Fiyero assured her, nuzzling her hair.

She smiled. "My point is that everything else you described just sounds... perfect." She half-turned so that she could look at him properly. "And I think I want all that, too."

A brilliant smile lit up his face. "You do?"

She nodded shyly and he wrapped her in his arms, kissing her deeply.

"Oz, Fae, I love you," he murmured, kissing her neck. He held her tightly, feeling how relaxed and completely at ease she was in his arms, and his heart soared. No matter what she thought about herself, he knew that he was most definitely the luckiest man alive because he had her.


End file.
